Illuminating flare



c. D. SCH ERMULY ETAL 2,409,905

ILLUMINATING FLARE Q Filed June20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l l/zven furs Conrad Dav/0 Schermu ly Alfred James Schermuy' Char/es SchermuW By their attorneys WMM Patented Oct. 22, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATIN G FLARE Application June 20, 1944, Serial No. 541,174 In Great Britain November 27, 1942 3 Claims.

This invention relates to illuminating flares, more particularly of the kind dropped from aircraft and supported in the air by means of a parachute, and has for its principal object to provide improved means for screening the said flare so as to prevent upward glare therefrom.

The present invention consists in a parachutesupported flare candle having hinged to the top thereof a number of ribs each of which has hinged thereto a rib which extends beyond the top of the candle and is secured to a plate adapted to be lifted by a parachute and slidable on an extension secured to the candle case, the two sets of said ribs being covered with opaque material, so that when the flare is released the snatch caused by the parachute opening moves the said ribs to a position inclined to the flare case and the covering thereon provides an eifective screen.

The invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a device in accordance with this invention, the device being shown in its airborne position and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the device in its airborne 'position showing the relations of various parts more clearly.

Referring to the drawings, the candle case I has secured to the top thereof an extension 2 having a slot 3 therein arranged axially thereof. A pin 4 is provided in the said slot on which is supported a plate 5, preferably of greater diameter than that of the flare case. The pin is so arranged that it can slide up and down in the said slot and at the same time allow the said plate to slide up and down therewith.

Hinged to the top of the flare case are a number of ribs 6 covered with opaque material I to form a screen and hinged intermediate the ends of each of the said ribs is a rib 8, all the ribs 8 also being covered with opaque material. The ribs 8 extend beyond the top of the flare case and are hinged to the periphery of the plate 5. The covering on the ribs 6 does not extend completely up to the top of the ribs. The material on the ribs 8 overlaps all the material on the ribs 6 above the line where the ribs 8 are hinged to the ribs 6. A certain amount of fullness is allowed in the material between the ribs 8 so that air will pass between the two covers and will lift the outer cover to form a louvre. These louvres are provided for the purpose of allowing an outlet for smoke from the candle.

The parachute cords 9 which lead to the parachute supporting the flare are secured in any convenient manner to the pin 4 which slides in the slot 3.

In operation the flare with its parachute is ejected from a case. As soon as the device becomes airborne by the parachute a snatch occurs between the parachute and the candle. This snatch is utilised to open the screen. When the device is packed in the case the ribs are folded down alongside the flare candle in the direction of the arrows, the said plate 5 thus being drawn down on the case extension until it rests on the top of the said candle case. As soon as the aforesaid snatch occurs the plate will be caused to slide upwardly on the extension and draw the ribs hinged thereto to a position inclined to the axis of the candle, and these ribs in turn will move the main ribs which are hinged to the top of the case also to a position inclined to the said case, so that the covering thereon will form an eifective screen to prevent upward glare from the candle. It is preferred that the upper ribs should be hinged to the plate at points which are offset with respect to the points on the candle case where the main ribs are hinged so as to avoid having to pull the said' ribs over a dead centre.

If desired, a coil spring, rubber pad or the like can be arranged in the slot to prevent the pin slidable therein from jarring too heavily against the end of the slot when it is pulled into its uppermost position.

We claim:

1. A parachute-supported flare candle comprising a casing having an extension thereon, a plate movably mounted on said extension, means arranged to be operated by the opening of a parachute to raise said plate on said extension, a set of ribs hinged at one end to the upper end of said casing, a second set of ribs having each rib hinged at one end to the edge of said plate and at the other end to a rib of said first set intermediate the ends thereof and opaque material on each set of ribs to provide a screen for said flare candle when said ribs are raised upon the raising of said plate.

2. A parachute-supported flare as claimed in claim 1 wherein the opaque material on said first set of ribs does not extend to the pivot points of the ribs and the opaque material on the second set of ribs extends above the upper edge of the material on said first set of ribs and has a fullness of the material between the ribs of said second set whereby louvres are formed for the discharge of smoke from the candle when the ribs are raised.

3. A parachute-supported flare as claimed in claim 1 havingsaid extension slotted and a pin engaging in said slot and extending beneath said plate, said pin being connected to the parachute and raising said plate when said pin is raised in said slot upon the opening of the parachute.

CONRAD DAVID SCHERMULY. ALFRED JAMES SCHERMULY. CHARLES SCHERMULY. 

